What Is Minipuberty & Why Is It Important For Fertility?

According to Swan, reproductive health really starts so young: she explains that minipuberty "is very important for hormonal and reproductive development".

We dug further: Apparently, mini-puberty occurs between birth and the 6th age in connection with language and possibly behavior – like perhaps emotional regulation in men.

A Little Sex Ed For You: Adolescent puberty occurs when the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (or HPG) axis is activated, causing an increase in sex steroid hormones (resulting in changes in body shape, an increase in body hair etc. leads). ).

However, this activation actually takes place twice before: once in utero and once in the first months of life. These first two activations do not lead to an increase in sex hormones, so they are more generally categorized as "endocrine puberty". They are just as important to reproductive health, but you don't necessarily see changes in the body.

This stage of minipuberty is important as it can allow early observation and medical intervention for reproductive or sexual development disorders if necessary. As one study reports, it forms a "platform for future fertility" as it essentially forms the basis for the maturation of your reproductive organs and acts as a "window of opportunity" to evaluate the HPG axis – since this "window" is closed until you re-enter puberty about ten years later. More research is needed on the specific effects of mini-puberty on future fertility, but it sure is a nice concept, isn't it?